Zombies vs. Jesus

On Easter Sunday evening, there was a TV showdown between good and evil. On The History Channel – the final installment of the Bible mini-series where Jesus is executed. On AMC, the season ending episode of The Walking Dead – the series where zombies try to eat the brains of human beings. One footnote: the world might have been a better place had the zombies preemptively gotten to the guy who thought up this series in the first place.

Anyway, the zombies won. They beat Jesus in the ratings especially among viewers ages 18 to 49.

So what lesson can be derived from Jesus losing to The Walking Dead? Well, it proves that about 12 million Americans want to see blood and gore. Wait, there was plenty of that in the Bible’s crucifixion scenes. Maybe the zombie viewers simply wanted cheap thrills. Yeah, that’s it. Cheap thrills triumphed over a spiritual experience. Cannibalism beat baptism.

Base entertainment almost always beats higher brow stuff but watching flesh-eating zombies on Easter does put a different spin on things, does it not? I mean, how soon can we digest dismemberment on television after eating our baked ham dinner? One hour, two?

At least Jesus was in context. The New Testament says the son of God rose from the dead on Easter. The zombies rise from the dead whenever their makeup is finished.

Honestly, I have no idea what this zombie phenomenon is all about. Way back in the 1960’s, I saw the first explicit zombie movie “The Night of the Living Dead.” Things were creeping along okay until a little girl turned into a zombie and tried to eat her mom. At that point my entire group decided enough was enough and we bolted the theatre.

But today that scene would be tame. Now zombie kids will eat their entire family if given the opportunity. Depravity doesn’t even begin to cover it. Apparently, we Americans have an unending appetite for gross behavior. Pun intended.

So what must Jesus think? Here he is getting nailed to the cross by smirking Romans and getting trounced by TV zombies at the same time. The prince of peace preached that everyone on earth should love their neighbors as themselves. I do not believe that Jesus would condone eating your neighbor even if you are dead.

Many folks who like this zombie business freely admit it’s a low form of entertainment but so what, they say. It’s fun to envision yourself outsmarting the zombies, blasting them all to hell with shotguns and then escaping to some tattoo parlor. I guess that’s fun in some precincts.

But not for me. I threw in with Jesus even though the guy who played him looked a bit like Spicolli in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”. Sure, I knew how the mini-series turned out but there are worse things you can do on Easter Sunday. Like watching man-eating zombies.

All I know is this: when Jesus appeared to the apostles after he died – thank God they did not have access to AMC.

and many of us that see what is on cable have decided it’s not worth it and did not watch either of them. but certainly would have chosen the ‘bible.’ zombies is part of he reason we decided cable wasn’t worth it in the first place. 100 channels, and nothing to watch.

sheila0405

Would you have chosen The Bible just because it is a Bible show, or because it was well made? I am a firm believer in the Bible, but the show was not produced well. Just my opinion. As I said, I turned it off after about 15 minutes. I saw better films way back in school, when we had those insipid science movies on reel to reel super 8.

We need a new Bible and a new religion. Religion is the only field where we think the originators were smarter and better informed than modern people.

See The Two Minute Conservative at: http://tinyurl.com/7jgh7wv and when you speak ladies will swoon and liberal gentlemen will weep.

sheila0405

I can see why you think this way. Today’s “Creationists”, who embrace a literal six day creation of the earth and universe by God, really are off the wall. I haven’t heard any answer yet by them why incest was okay with God in the beginning. How else do they explain away a literal Adam and Even populating the world? I also wonder why Noah would ever put mosquitoes onto the ark. Just sayin’.

Shrinque

You are correct about that tiny fringe, but the vast majority of Christians these days do not think that way.

sheila0405

I grew up as a part of that “tiny” fringe, and believe me, it didn’t seem all that tiny.

wally12

The mosquitoes were board jumping. Are you suggesting that Adam and Eve were not the only ones who populated the world? If they were not and you believe in evolution, is it logical that there were many different evolutions taking place at the same time to make all the different races of the world? I am lost by your comment.

sheila0405

I don’t believe there was a literal Adam and Eve. I believe that is an allegory. The truth is not diminished by this belief. The point is that God created mankind in his image, and that mankind fell in disobedience. If there was a literal Adam and Eve, where did Cain’s wife come from? When we get to the historical record of Abram and the beginning of the nation of Israel, I believe it is at that point that we can take those writings as historical fact. I believe the Bible is authored by God himself, via the Holy Spirit, but there are parts that are allegorical in nature. Kind of like the parables Jesus taught. I really don’t want to get into hermeneutics here.

wally12

In other words, you and me and the rest of the world do not understand how, when and how many humans were made in the image of God. I can accept that.

sheila0405

That’s what I meant.

Shrinque

Your initial statement is as ignorant as your plug for your blog is shameless. I am a scientist, educated through the Doctoral level, and it was precisely my years of study of biology, chemistry, physics, and human development (physical, emotional, and intellectual) that fully informed me of the truth and genius of the Bible. It is true that Christians believe that the originator (there is only one) of our faith (not religion) is smarter and better informed than modern people, because He is omniscient. No person, modern nor ancient has ever been omniscient, so your snark is just ridiculous, is it not?

Oh sure, I know you were referring to the men who wrote the Bible. Well, judging from the quality of their writing, they were at least of average, and more likely above average or superior intelligence, so, in actuality, they were smarter than at least half of “modern people.” And while they may have lacked the knowledge of modern science, etc., they were among the best-informed people of their age and their writing was inspired by God. So, again, they are likely to have been better informed than, again, at least half of “modern people,” perhaps even you.

TRONRADIO

Great post, Shrinque. Always glad to see well-educated people giving full credence to the Bible. I’m not a scientist, but what I have studied in my years also brought me to the conclusion you reached. I think in many cases, people shun the Bible and God because of their unwillingness to be accountable for their actions; aka sin.

sheila0405

I believe it is deeper than that. Without the gift of faith, it’s hard to discuss theology with one who hasn’t (yet) received faith. It’s not that all nonbelievers are evil; I don’t believe that. But we as Christians are supposed to mind our own lives before we go around thumping the Bible, to quote O’Reilly. Faith and reason go hand in hand, but the faith part is very difficult. It’s not easy to be a Christian.

Roadmaster

Have to go with Shrinque on this one. Mr. Vance is probably a member of the crowd that claims the Bible is just a collection of myths and fairy tales, or has been compromised from it’s original text by being copied and translated so many times by (gasp) fallible humans with an “agenda” (gasp! again).

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 has forever blown that opinion to smithereens because including with them was a copper scroll of the book of Isaiah which can be conservatively dated to 300-400 years prior to Christ, and is (with minor spelling and puctuation differences) the same book we read today.

This simple factoid also blows up the oft used claim that all of Isaiah’s 100% accurate prophesies concerning Jesus were written after the fact.

The more I read the Bible (which is every day) the more it rings true for me, unlike other books such as The Book of Mormon, for instance, which seemed quite phony the first time I read it at age 10, even before I learned “Prophet” Joseph Smith was a notorious liar and a convicted con man & hustler.

sheila0405

You touch on two different subjects in your comment. The first is the historical aspect. I, too, believe that the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls vindicated much of what I was taught about the history of the Bible itself. The other aspect is the sense of continuity one senses when reading it. That sense of continuity, in my opinion, comes from the aid of the Holy Spirit. I don’t usually use my own sense of continuity when I talk about the Bible with nonbelievers, which is rare, because that is subjective. I have long ago forgotten my hermeneutics classes.I will discuss my faith with anyone who asks, but end the conversation if someone indicates that they believe all Christians are loons.

sheila0405

I’m one who hasn’t missed an episode of The Walking Dead. I am 58 years old, married, a devout Catholic, with two grown children. The Walking Dead is more about how decent human beings deal with an apocalypse, in this case, zombies. On the show, they are referred to as “walkers”. It is about the human spirit, about loyalty and coming together to try to retain some sense of family and order in spite of the reality of the walkers. (In the Walking Dead, it is a virus which has infected the entire population, and which results in the creation of the walkers.) I tried watching “The Bible” but turned it off about 15 minutes into the first episode. I found the stories not true to what the Bible actually recorded (Noah’s ark had a leak? Really?) and the acting was terrible. And, Bill, there are those who recorded one program while watching the other. You’re reading way too much into this.

Wasted a lot of your life didn’t you? The zombie movies are so far fetched and stupid, I wouldn’t let my dog watch them.

sheila0405

I don’t watch any zombie movies. Only The Walking Dead, for the reasons I cited. I’m sure any of us would agree that we waste some of our time on entertainment. If TWD isn’t your cup of tea, so be it. No need to imply anything negative about those who enjoy the show. So much ado about nothing, in my opinion. I find it amusing that Bill is so upset about the interest in zombies by some.

Bruce A

I also found zombies appearing on MSNBC dressed up and trying to act as legitimate news casters.

Please pardon my correction but those are not the walking dead, those are the walking stupid. Just saying …..

Wheels55

I thought the Bible series was great. Modern film techniques with good acting helped. But the story was told in a very compelling way. I was moved – and I was born and raised a believer of the Bible.
I didn’t see the Zombie deal. I would watch that before I would watch other zombie shows, like Maher and Letterman.

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